How long will your Graduate visa last?
A Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it lasts 3 years.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026. The change to 18 months applies to applications made on or after 1 January 2027.
Work out your dates
General information, not immigration advice. Rules change: always check gov.uk.
When does a Graduate visa start and end?
Your Graduate visa starts on the day your application is approved, not the day you apply. Once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, gov.uk says you will usually get a decision within 8 weeks.
The end date is the start date plus the length of the visa. You can stay in the UK while you wait for a decision.
What the rules say about when you can apply
gov.uk says you must be in the UK when you apply, and you must apply before your Student visa expires. You can apply once your university or college has told the Home Office that you have successfully completed your course. You do not have to wait until you have graduated.
Can you extend a Graduate visa?
No. gov.uk says you cannot extend a Graduate visa, but you may be able to switch to a different visa, for example a Skilled Worker visa. To switch, you need a job offer from an employer with a sponsor licence, at a salary that meets the rules for the job's occupation code.
How Graduate visa time counts for new-entrant salaries
If you switch to a Skilled Worker visa and are paid a new-entrant rate, gov.uk says your total stay in the UK on those terms cannot be more than 4 years, and that includes any time you have already spent on a Graduate visa.
Questions about the Graduate visa length
How does the calculator work out my end date?
It adds the length of the visa to the date you enter: 2 years or 18 months, depending on that date, or 3 years with a PhD or other doctoral qualification. The visa starts on the day your application is approved, so the real end date moves later by however long the decision takes. Our guide to the Graduate visa change explains the rule.
What date should I enter?
The date you plan to apply. The length depends on the date you apply, not the date your course ends, and you can apply once your university or college has told the Home Office you have completed your course.
Is this immigration advice?
No. General information only. For advice, talk to a regulated immigration adviser.
Sources
- Graduate visa (gov.uk)
- Graduate visa: the course you studied (gov.uk)
- Skilled Worker visa: switch to this visa (gov.uk)
- Skilled Worker visa: when you can be paid less (gov.uk)
General information, not immigration advice. Rules change: always check gov.uk.
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